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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26423665">The Idiot's Guide to Co-Habitation and Childcare</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailelie/pseuds/Ailelie'>Ailelie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Ongoing (Crack) Adventures of Sidney Crosby [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Men's Hockey RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universes, Crack, Kid Fic, Kinda, M/M, ficcish not!fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:55:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26423665</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailelie/pseuds/Ailelie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A little girl appears one day, insisting that Sid is her dad.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sidney Crosby/OMC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Ongoing (Crack) Adventures of Sidney Crosby [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/240751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Idiot's Guide to Co-Habitation and Childcare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamy25/gifts">dreamy25</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I started this story back in....2014 or 2015, I think. I never finished and then I fell out of the hockey fandom. But then, years later, I get a great comment from dreamy25 and decide to finish out this fic and series. This story is not what I once planned (which had a lot more kid fic stuff in it and a longer period of tension, etc), but I decided that "done" was more important than matching an old outline. I know this gets a bit rushed and the ending is a bit deus ex machina-esque, but I hope you enjoy it regardless.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sid and Aaron aren’t arguing. Then again, they aren’t talking much either. Sid texts Aaron when his planes take off and land and Aaron replies with “Be safe” or “Good.” The last time they spent any time together was before a long stretch of away games when Sid had screwed everything up. He’d gone over to Aaron’s with take-out and good intentions but when he saw Aaron’s journal open on his coffee table and Sid’s name in the journal, he asked again if Aaron would move in with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They never got to the take-out. Sid left it behind when Aaron tiredly asked him to leave. He’s tried texting, but Aaron won’t accept his apologies and is refusing to rehash their discussion again. But he always replies to Sid’s texts about the planes and that is the lifeline Sid is clinging to with both fists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should have never brought up the damn house again, but with Aaron’s lease running out, it had seemed like the perfect next step. His house is too large, but Aaron would help fill it and he’s daydreamed about that frequently since the idea first came to him. Aaron, though, doesn’t like his house or its location. They could have compromised, but Sid was an idiot and brought up the other Sidney, his Aaron, and their house. So now, silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence has nothing to do with the house. He’s figured that much out, but he doesn’t know how to fix it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Besides. He has a game to play. He always has a game to play.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Penguins win. Sid posts a secondary assist. After the game, he forces a smile through the media scrum and goes to meet up with the front office staff afterward to discuss his work with Project: Destiny for the year. He might lose Aaron (he refuses to lose Aaron), but he is not going to give up Project: Destiny.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It is when he is leaving the offices that his world gets tipped over again. A sobbing little girl with messy black curls launches herself into his arms calling out, “Daddy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She babbles, telling him how well he played and asking why he forgot her and Sid just stares at the staffer, waiting for an explanation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was in the box with the school kids,” the staffer says. “I’ll go talk to the chaperones. Should I--” he gestures to the girl. Sid’s hold tightens reflexively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stay with her. We’ll be--” Sid glances back at the offices and notices a dark one with an open door. “--in that office.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The staffer goes to call the chaperones and Sid takes the girl into the office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to play a game,” he tells her, sitting her down on the edge of a desk and taking the chair across from her. “What is your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little girl pushes her shoulders back. “Avery Faith Crosby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How old are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid just stares at her, catching the familiarity of her face. The determined line of her mouth is just like Taylor. She kicks his knee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daddy, you’re supposed to ask when my birthday is next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When is your birthday?” Sid asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“July 19th, 1998.” She pronounces each number precisely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do I ask next?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Daddy! That’s not one of the questions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Avery?” he says, letting a little of his captain voice bleed in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She crosses her arms. “You’re s'posed to ask where I live and who the best are and then tell me if I got a concussion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid barks out a surprised laugh. “Where do you live?” he asks. Avery rattles off his address without hesitation. “Who are the best?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grins. “The Penguins!” She pumps one fist over her head and Sid chuckles again. He has no idea who this little girl is and he’s a little disturbed by how deeply she buys into this fantasy that she’s his and that checking for a concussion is a game she has apparently played, but she is adorable. “Well?” she asks, lowering her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re concussion-free,” he says. Avery launches herself into his lap, pushing his chair back several feet. Holding her, he glances down over her back and notices the number on her back. “A Malkin shirt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uncle Genya gave it to me.” She scrambles off his lap and spins. “You like it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks great, Avery.” This disturbs Sid though. He has been wondering whether a newer player was pulling a prank, but Geno would not have gone along with it, not with a kid involved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The staffer returns then, looking uncomfortable. “Um,” he starts and Sid knows then he hasn’t learned anything. Sid thinks about the next step–calling Child Protective Services, about turning over this little girl whose hair, where it has frayed from her braids, curls like his does. He might never see her again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” he tells the staffer. “I know what’s going on. Don’t worry about it.” He stands and picks up Avery. “C'mon,” he tells her. “Let’s go talk to your uncle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shouldn’t keep her. He can’t keep her. But she thinks he’s his. He’ll talk to Geno to find out what he knows, if anything. He’ll get a paternity test, having no compunction in using his fame this time to get the test rushed. He’ll take her home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he’ll call Aaron. He finally has a reason, unrelated to the house, to talk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His stomach twists with guilt and relief and Avery rests her head on his shoulder as though she belongs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid finds Geno on his way to the parking lot. More exactly, Avery find Geno on his way to the parking lot. Sid is trying to figure out what to tell Aaron when Avery waves her hand, nearly hitting Sid in the nose, and says, “Uncle Genya! Over here!” Avery pushes at Sid’s shoulder with her hands and hip with her feet. “Down, Daddy. I want down now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uncle Genya," Avery yells running toward Geno.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geno glances to Sid, his eyes wide. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Avery, don't run," Sid calls. "Avery."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geno nods and steps forward sweeping the little girl up into his arms. "Hello, Avery," he says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You scored, Uncle Genya! I watched you. Daddy gave you the puck and wham you got it into the net!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daddy? Geno mouths over Avery's shoulder. Sid shrugs helplessly. Any chance of Avery being some prank dissolves. Even if Geno wasn't the mastermind, he'd have been aware.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on, Avery," Sid says, walking up to take her back from Geno. "Uncle Genya needs to go home."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can't he come with us?" Avery asks. "I want to show him the new picture in my room."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid freezes. He can't take Avery home. He can't let her see her missing room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He has no clothes for her. No toys. No room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geno notices the panic growing on Sid's face and says, "Oh, Avery, you want to stay with me tonight?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery's eyes widen. "Can I, Daddy?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course you can," Sid says. "Geno, thanks."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is no problem. Come on, Avery--"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery pushes her hand over Geno's lips. "Use my special name, Uncle Genya."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What does Uncle Genya call you?" Sid asks. "I've forgotten."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He calls me his penguin, because penguins are the best," Avery says, her lower lip fattening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, Pingvinchik," Geno says before Avery’s eyes begin to water. "I just wanted to see if you remembered. You're going to learn Russian for me, right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am," Avery says, grinning. Then she rattles off a phrase that Sid doesn't recognize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geno hugs her tightly. "Good job, Pingvinchik."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid takes a step back. "I'll see you tomorrow, Avery."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bye, Daddy," Avery says, waving at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid walks around the corner and pushes his forehead against the cool wall. This is not his daughter. Somewhere another version of himself is probably hunting frantically for her, but he already wants to keep her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really needs to talk to Aaron.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Sid is in his car, he has his phone out. “Aaron--” he stops, uncertain how to phrase that he has a daughter from another universe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sid?” Aaron sounds confused and cautious and Sidney hates that tone, but tension he hadn’t even realized he was carrying flows out of him. He leans forward against his steering wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aaron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you all right? What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine. I need your help.” He listens to Aaron breathe in and out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you need? Did--” Aaron draws in another breath “--something happen again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a daughter. Some me somewhere has a daughter. She’s here. She’s beautiful.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My car. The parking lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay there,” Aaron says gently. “I’m coming for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid realizes then that he’s trembling. “I’ll wait.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He expects Aaron to hang up, but he doesn’t. He tells Sid about his day and how angry a local organization had gotten when he’d had to explain “three times, Sid, I swear” that he could not help distribute the trick-or-treat kits they’d assembled for the “less fortunate kids; her actual words, by the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron spins out stories until his car pulls alongside Sid’s. They look at each other through their windows and then both are out of the cars and Sid has his arms around Aaron’s back, his nose against his neck. Aaron rubs up and down his back. “Let’s get you home,” he says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we go to yours?” Sid asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron twitches, but then nods. “Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid shifts his things to Aaron’s car and slips into the passenger seat. Aaron slowly pulls out of the lot and starts for his apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, tell me about her.” He glances at Sid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid drums his fingers against his knees. “Her name is Avery.” He leaves nothing out, but even so he’s finished before they reach Aaron’s apartment. “What do you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your life, Sid.” Aaron shakes his head. He doesn’t add anything more, but he does reach across the console to squeeze Sid’s hand. Sid turns his hand to grasp Aaron’s and doesn’t let go until they reach his apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they are inside, Aaron starts grabbing drinks, blankets, and just moves from room to room with nervous energy. Sid looks around the apartment and his chest aches. “I’ve missed you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron stills and his shoulders slump. “Same.” He gestures to the couch with the pillow he just brought out of his bedroom. “Want to watch something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid nods and follows into the living room. Aaron pauses in front of the tv, his hand hovering over the power button of the remote. Then, with a deep breath, he turns to Sid. “You have a daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A daughter. From another universe. She doesn’t know that she’s swapped worlds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I should tell her?” Sid asks, considering the idea for the first time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. No. I don’t know it’d help.” Aaron sits down. The TV is still turned off. “Stay here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your house is being fumigated or something, so you’re staying with--” Aaron falters. “What about her mother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know. Avery didn’t mention her. Maybe we’re divorced or never married or she’s dead or--I’m tired of this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron presses the power button. The Sharks and the Kings are still scoreless in their first period.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were watching the game?” Sid asks softly, joining Aaron on the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron sighs. “I always watch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid glances at Aaron’s profile, carefully noting the reflections off his glasses, the curve of his nose, the chapped skin on his lips, the light freckles that darken in summer and the words hover on the tip of Sid’s tongue once again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Move in with me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But then he realizes that Aaron would have looked back at him by now before the not-arguments and he sees the pulse jumping in the side of Aaron’s neck and the strain of muscle on his shoulder and Sid swallows the words back down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you think of our penalty kill?” he asks instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron glances at him now. “I think you should keep that Wilkes-Barre kid up for as long as you can. He dominates the blue line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. His performance drops too much as soon as he isn’t the only D-man on the ice, though.” Sid settles into his seat and gestures toward the television. “Think the Sharks can come back for the win?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Aaron admits, “but I wouldn’t rule them out. Stranger things have happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the game is over--Kings winning in overtime--Aaron stands and hands Sid the remote. “Keep watching if you want. I need to get to bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May I join you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron looks around at the blankets and pillow he’d brought into the living room and grabs the pillow. “All right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid turns off the television and stands. Aaron doesn’t move as Sid cradles his jaw with one hand and runs his other down Aaron’s bicep and off his elbow to his hip. Aaron crooks a half smile and beats Sid to the kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We could have this all the time</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Sid thinks, but he only smiles as they break apart and follows Aaron silently into his bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything isn’t magically better in the morning, but it feels manageable in a way it hadn’t before. After Aaron has left for work, Sid goes to his house to pack up some clothes. On his way he calls Geno.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s Avery?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very energetic,” Geno says, a yawn catching his voice. “You have plan now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to stay at Aaron’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geno hums, but doesn’t comment. “Should I bring her there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please.” Then, remembering Aaron’s question from the night previous, he asks, “Has she said anything about her mom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid frowns. “All right. Bring her over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing Avery meet Aaron is surprising. Avery is shy and hides behind, first Geno, and then, once Geno has left and they’re inside the apartment, Sid. “Who is he, Daddy?” she whispers to Sid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron crouches down. “My name is Aaron. I’m a friend of your daddy’s. You must be Avery.” He holds out his hand to shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery glances between him and Sid and then very slowly takes Aaron’s hand and shakes it quickly before snapping back and hiding again behind Sid’s leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron exchanges a look with Sid. “You don’t know me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Avery’s voice is muffled by Sid’s pant leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron stands. “I guess not every Sid knows every Aaron,” he says, his voice strangely light, like that is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s missing out,” Sid says and Aaron looks at him sharply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron opens his mouth to say something, but then shakes his head. “Why don’t I give you a tour?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are we here, Daddy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some people are fixing our house right now,” Sid says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what about my clothes?” Avery asks. “And my bear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid doesn’t know how to answer. He not only doesn’t have those things; he can’t go buy new ones. The media would go wild.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron reads his silence and offers, “Why don’t I take you out to buy some new clothes? We can get a friend for your bear, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Sid loves him still and again, so much. Avery takes some talking around, but eventually she agrees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery returns with a build-a-bear fox in generic hockey costume. “Look, Daddy, the fox has red fur. Now Crosbear will have someone to play against!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid counts to three silently and looks up at Aaron who isn’t even trying to hide his grin. “Tyler’s idea. What’s the fox’s name, Avery?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Claude the Fox.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s great, Avery,” Sid says, patting her fox on the head. “Why don’t you go play?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grins and darts off, chattering to her fox.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You talked to Tyler?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No specifics. Said I was hosting one of my cousin’s kids and that she was a big Crosby fan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. What am I going to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron shrugs. “From what little time I’ve spent with her, she seems to be a remarkably intelligent little girl. I vote telling her the truth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?” Sid asks, but it is Aaron’s idea, so he doesn’t discard it entirely. And, when another night passes with no change (Sidney and Avery sleep in Aaron’s bed; Aaron takes the couch), Sid agrees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery first asks Sid the concussion questions, and then cries when he tells her. She demands for her real daddy to take her home. She refuses to talk to Sid for the rest of the day and addresses every word to Aaron instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The upshot of having told her, though, is that Sid can ask questions about her life without having to make an excuse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is your mother?” he asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery crosses her arms and stares at Aaron.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron sighs and asks, “Who is your mommy, Avery?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephanie Vinson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And where is your mommy?” Aaron asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avery heaves a big sigh and rolls her eyes. “My mommy loves me very much,” she recites, “but wasn’t ready to be a mommy when I was born, so my daddy took me home instead. Mommy sends presents for Christmas and my birthday and I stay with her during the playoffs because Daddy cannot be a good daddy during playoff season.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good that you understand that,” Aaron says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. My </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> daddy doesn’t lie to me.” She shoots Sid a poisonous glare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raises both hands. “You surprised me,” he starts to explain, but Avery turns back to Aaron, ignoring him once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night she refuses to share the bed with Sid and so they end up letting her sleep on the couch and Aaron joins Sid in bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What am I going to do?” Sid asks, turning on his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron lays his hand over Sid’s, tangles their fingers together. “We’ll figure it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>We </span>
  </em>
  <span>will?” Sid curses himself as soon as he asks, but he is tired of this not-argument limbo. Pretending nothing is wrong hurts. Aaron starts to tug his hand free, but Sid tightens his grip. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Please.” He keeps his voice down, mindful of Avery in the other room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron sighs. “Are you going to look up Stephanie Vinson now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Avery’s a great kid. Won’t you miss her when she’s gone? Don’t you want an Avery of your own?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron rolls onto his back, pulling their hands with him. They rest on his chest and he closes his eyes. “Why do you want to get a house?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron’s mouth twitches toward a smile at that, but he doesn’t move. “And why do you love me? Because you fell into another universe where you and I were in love. And now you want a house like they have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Are you going to look up Stephanie Vinson now?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid thinks he finally understands. “I’m jealous of the other me sometimes, but I don’t want his life. I just want a life with you.” He realizes that this is what he should have said at the start, instead of making it about how empty his house is or happy the other Sid and Aaron were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron opens his eyes and looks at Sid. After a long, silent moment, he says, “Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay?” Sid repeats, excitement creeping into his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron smiles. “Not about the house, but we can talk about it once Avery is back where she belongs. I’m agreeing to a talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Sid repeats, pushing up on his free arm and pressing down into a kiss. Aaron’s free hand curls around Sid’s jaw and ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the morning, Sid feels like he and Aaron are a team again. Their first task together is getting Avery to talk to Sid again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sid has a game, he kisses Aaron good-bye and pats Avery on the head. He hears Avery asking Aaron as he leaves, “Why did Mr. Crosby kiss you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron texts him a series of disappointed emojis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid flies on the ice that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They settle into a routine, the three of them. Avery eventually relents and starts calling Sid “Sid” instead of “Mr. Crosby.” She still calls Geno “Uncle Genya” and spends a few nights with him because she wants to practice her Russian for when she returns home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, one day, as suddenly as she arrived, she disappeared. Sid and Aaron wake up to find the couch messy, but empty. They search all day, but Avery is nowhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left her fox behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid and Aaron even think to look up Stephanie Vinson. She’s a doctor and married. She has a little girl who is a perfect twin for Avery, but whose name is “Chloe” instead. Her husband looks nothing like Chloe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid stares at the photos on her Facebook page, barely aware of Aaron’s arm across his back. “Do you think-- I used to hook up sometimes, so maybe, but--” None of his thoughts connect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t reach out. He isn’t Chloe’s real daddy anymore than he was Avery’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron sends photos of the fox to Tyler who teases Sid about stealing a toy from a kid. A few days later, Sid receives a stuffed bear in Penguins hockey gear with a note </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Crosbear of your own so Claude the Fox doesn’t get lonely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid buys different clothes and glasses for the fox. “I’d rather it be us,” he explains and Aaron laughs at him, but sends a photo to Tyler explaining the change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“disgusting,” Tyler texts back. For the rest of the day, he peppers them with terrible ideas for re-naming the fox and complains that Aaron should be a bear, too, because “Webear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two weeks pass before they find the letter. </span>
</p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Hello,</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Thank you for taking care of Avery for me. I do not know how she found her way to your world, but apparently our world is full of anomalies. When she went missing, people who track such anomalies found me. Apparently I’m lucky she ended up in a world where another version of her exists. None of this makes sense to me.  </span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>I’m writing this letter before I leave to get her back. They can only open a window for a few seconds and I don’t want Avery to just disappear. They said she’s with another me and a man named Aaron Weber, and that she has been well taken care of. So, thank you.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Best,</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>Sidney Crosby of Universe Delta</span>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>PS: Did you know they label the universes? You’re ‘tau.’ Apparently, my daughter going missing was a </span>
    </em>
    <span>good</span>
    <em>
      <span> thing because they had thought Universe Tau was anomaly free and now they realize it isn’t, but you’re not too far gone to act. And, I’ll be honest, I’m sure you are nice people with a nice universe, but I’d have preferred my daughter had stayed where she belongs.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>“Who are ‘they,’ I wonder,” Aaron says after reading the letter. He lays it on the coffee table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it bad that I hope we never have to find out?” Sid asks. He presses into Aaron’s side, sighing, pleased, when Aaron wraps his arm around Sid and tugs him closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope the same,” Aaron confesses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rain patters against the windows. Sid rubs his cheek against Aaron’s shoulder, breathes him in. The tv is off. The apartment is still. Aaron’s thumb slides back and forth across Sid’s skin, grounding him. The room is warm. Sid presses one hand against Aaron’s chest and feels his breaths rise and fall, sure and steady. He closes his eyes and settles into the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Aaron speaks, quietly, his voice a rumble against Sid’s palm. He says, “Move in with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sid pulls him down into a kiss. He says “yes.”</span>
</p>
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